Cushioning container



Sept. 3, 1968 H. FREEMAN 3,399,797

CUSHIONING CONTAINER Filed Nov. 9, 1966 INVENTOR.

HARRY FREEMAN United States Patent 3,399,797 CUSHIONIN G CONTAINER Harry Freeman, Slatersville, R.I., assignor to Tainer Tech Corp., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Nov. 9, 1966, Ser. No. 593,106 3 Claims. (Cl. 21752) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cushioning container comprising supporting walls folded with portions in overlapping relation with registering openings in the overlapping portions into which there is inserted a resilient compressible material which acts to hold the overlapping walls in position and also cushions any commodity placed in the container against shocks from impact and the like.

This invention relates to a package and more particularly to a container for some sort of a delicate or fragile piece of equipment which needs protection against impacts, vibrations, pressure .and displacement, abrasion temperature extremes or similar conditions.

The invention consists in providing a resilient compressible material, such as a foamed plastic, at certain spaced locations or spots to engage the commodity which is placed in the container and to hold it against movement of any substantial extent in the container as well as protecting it from impacts, vibrations, pressure and so forth as recited above.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide resilient cushioning material at certain spot locations making unnecessary the use of a large amount of material over the entire inner surface and in fact serving better than were a complete lining of the material utilized.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple means of holding the protecting material in place at the locations desired without the material shifting with relation to the wall on which it is placed.

Another object of the invention is to so shape the wall and material used for cushioning that the two may be locked in position one relative to the other without the need of any additional fastenings or adhesives.

Another object of the invention is to utilize the cushioning material for not only serving as its cushioning function but also to serve as a means for locking walls of the container in right angular relation one to the other.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container equipped with the cushioning means of this invention and showing in exploded relation thereto an article to be placed in the container;

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing sheet material in blank form before being folded into a container for an article;

FIGS. 3, 4, and 6 are plan views showing the locking function of the resilient material for a corner in progressively different forms, FIG. 3 being a plan view of the cut bank; FIG. 4 being a view with one of the walls bent up into position; FIG. 5 being a view with two of the walls folded into position; and FIG 6 being a view of the completed corner, all walls being locked in position by one of the cushioning units of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a modified form of sheet material in blank form illustrating a dilferent shape of opening for receiving a different shape of cushioning material;

FIG. 8 is a fragmental view on a larger scale illustrat- 3,399,797 Patented Sept. 3, 1968 ice inga rectangular unit as inserted into one of the edge openings of the wall shown at FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the parts shown in FIG. 8 folded into position;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view on line 1010 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of one of the units utilized in FIGS. 1 to 6;

FIG. 12 is a section on line 12-12 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of one of the units utilized in FIGS. 7 to 10; and

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a still further modified unit which may be used in the construction of FIGS. 7 to 10.

In proceeding with this invention, a corrugated cardboard wall structure is utilized in which there is provided an opening with a foam resilient compressible unit placed in the opening and protruding from both sides of the wall so as to engage the article in the container and cushion it against shocks or vibrations which might occur during shipping or in storage under certain conditions. The cushioning unit may be of polyethylene foam and the relative shape of the opening and the unit to be inserted therein may have many various forms, The cushioning unit usually is provided with a slit along its edge to receive the marginal edge of the wall opening to hold it in position.

In FIGS. 1 to 6 I have illustrated one shape of opening and unit to be positioned therein, while in FIGS. 7 to 10 a different shape opening is utilized and there may be other shapes which may be provided following the teachings of this invention.

In FIG. 2 there is shown a cutout cardboard blank designated generally 10 with dotted lines indicated at 11 for folding parts at right angles to enable the blank to be folded up into a container designated generally 12 in FIG. 1. Thus, there is provided a rectangular bottom 15 within the rectangular dotted line in the center of the blank shown in FIG. 1 with opposite side walls 16 extending upwardly there-from in parallel relation and end walls 17 likewise extending upwardly therefrom in parallel relation and bridging the ends of the walls 16, such folding being enabled by reason of slots 18 at the ends of the wall 16 separating the side walls from the end flaps 19 which are joined to the ends of the end wall 17 along score lines 20 so that these flaps may extend along the surface of the wall 16 as shown in FIG. 1.

A plurality of openings 25 are provided in the walls mentioned, each of generally circular shape with flattened portions 26 and 27 diametrically opposite each other along a chord of the circle to provide the shape of opening 25 illustrated more clearly in FIG. 2. There are three such openings in the bottom wall 15, three such openings in each side wall 16, while there is one such opening at the mid-portion of each end wall 17. The openings 30 in the flaps 19 are also generally circular with a single flat bottom or chord 31 which flat portion 31 is so located that it will correspond with a flat portion 32 of one of the end openings in the side wall when the flap is folded into the position shown in FIG. 1.

Cushioning inserts of a shape shown at 35 in FIG. 11 are provided for the opening such as 25 above mentioned. Each of these units 35 is cylindrical in form and of a generally foam-like structure such as may be formed from polyethylene foam and has ends 36 and 37 at the ends of a generally cylindrical body and a cylindrical side wall 38 which is oppositely slit as at 39 and 40 to a slot bottom 41 and 42 at diametrically opposite points substantially midway between the ends 36 and 37. This polyethylene foam may be compressed in the hand to a substantial extent and then will return to its normal size and shape, The bottom of the slots 39 and 40 desig- 3 nated as 42 and 42 are a distance apart a little greater than the distance between the straight fiat portions 26 and 27 which form the margins of the opening 25. For insertion of the unit 35 into the opening 25 the unit is com pressed until it may be passed into the openings 25 between the flat edges 26 and 27 and then with the fiat edges located opposite the slots 39 and 40 the unit is released and permitted to expand so that the parts of the unit on the opposite sides of the slots 39 and 40 extend over the margins of the opening 25 at the points 26 and 27, thus locating one of the units 35 in its opening 25 and by reason of the dimensions of the flats 26 and 27 being a little closer together than the bottom of the slots 41 and 42 the portion between the bottom of the slots 41 and 42 will be held under compression when the unit is in the opening 25, thus resiliently locking the unit in the opening against endwise or rotary movement, and as the slots are about midway of the unit, the ends 36 and 37 will protrude beyond the walls in which they are located about equal amounts.

After the units 35 are positioned in each of the openings 25, the side walls 16 will be folded up along the score lines shown at 11 in dotted lines in FIG. 2, and the ends will be similarly folded up so that both side and end walls extend at substantially right angles to the bottom 15. The flaps 19 will then be folded along the dotted score line 20 so as to approach the position shown at FIG. 1. However, the end unit at this time in assembly, designated as 35a, will be compressed again along one side distant from the end 17 sufficiently so that the fiat portion 31 may pass over it and then it is allowed to expand again so that the flat portion 31 will also be located in one of the slots of the unit, thus locking the flap 19 in its right angular relation to both the bottom wall and the end wall to which it is hinged by the score line 20 and also locking the three walls in substantially their right angular relation by reason of the single unit 35a.

This corner relation is further illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4, and 6, wherein in FIG. 3 a blank is shown divided into sections by score lines shown dotted, One section 40 is connected to a section 41 by the fold line 42 and connected to the section 43 by a fold line 44, while a fourth section 45 is connected to the section 43 by the fold line 46 and separated from section 41 by a slot 47. In this case the locking relation is shown by means of a single cushioning unit 35 being positioned in opening 49 in the seution 41 as explained above. In FIG. 4 this section 41 is folded up along the score line 42 to be at right angles to the section 40, whereas in FIG. 5 the sections 43 and 45 are also folded up to be at right angles to the section 40 and also at right angles to the section 41, this being accomplished by folding along the score line 44. In FIG. 6 the further step is provided of folding the section 45 along the score line 46 to be at right angles to the section 43 and also at right angles to the section 40, while the opening 50 having a fiat portion 51 is positioned over the unit 35 which is positioned in the opening 49 in a manner similar to the positioning of the unit 35 in the opening 25 and then this opening 50 is also caused to receive the unit 35 by compressing it and then allowing it to expand so that the flat portion 51 is located in the slot in the unit 35. Thus all of the parts are held in their right angular relation by the cushion unit 35. Additional cushion units may be positioned in the openings in the sections 40 and 43 as will be readily apparent.

In FIGS. 7, 8, 9, and 13 modified shapes are shown. The bottom, sides and ends are given numerals corresponding to the showing in 'FIG. 2. The openings 25 in this case will receive cushion units 35 shown in FIG. 11 as set forth above.

Openings 55 will be provided in the edges of the side walls 16 and also in the edges of the end walls 17 and will receive the unit 60. Unit is provided with ends 61 and 62 and sides 63 which are oppositely slotted as at 64 and 65 to a depth having bottoms 66 and 67. The openings 55 are generally rectangular in shape but are provided with tapered projections 68 which as the unit 60 is forced into the openings 55 will compress the bottoms 66 and 67 of the slots 64 and 65 so as to take on the form substantially as shown in the section portion of FIG. 10. Thus, these cushion units 60 are securely held in the slot or openings 55 provided in the side and end walls. Openings 70 are also provided in the flaps 19 which will lock with the unit 60 as shown in FIG, 9 so as to hold the walls in a right angular relation desired.

In some cases a unit such as shown at may be provided in which in addition to the rectangular structure such as shown in FIG. 13 there is an end projection 81 extending therefrom. This unit would be positioned with the projection 81 extending inwardly of the container so as to serve to engage some special forms of article to be retained therein.

The container shown in FIG. 1 may receive an article 85 shown in FIG. 1 with the inner ends of the cushion units 35 contacting the article 85. This container with article therein may then be placed in another or outer container of plane form with the outer ends of the cushion units in contact therewith. In a similar manner the modified unit of FIG. 7 may be used.

I claim:

1. A cushioning container having a wall with an opening therein, a second wall overlapping the first wall, said second wall having a second opening therein, said openings being in substantial registry, a resiliently compressible cushioning unit having ends and sides with a slot in one side, the margins of the wall surrounding said openings being of a size and shape relative to said unit so as to have a portion of the margins extend into the slot of the unit to lock both the unit and both walls in position with the ends of the unit protruding on opposite sides of the walls, one of said walls having additional openings spaced from the said registering openings and additional cushioning units with slots in the side similarly positioned 'in said additional openings and protruding on opposite sides of the wall to function as a cushion for an article in said container.

2. A cushioning container as in claim 1 wherein the margin of the wall surrounding an opening is provided with a projection to indent the wall of the slot of said unit to lock therewith.

3. A cushioning container as in claim 1 wherein the slots extend inwardly from opposite sides of the unit.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,120,600 6/1938 Curtis 217-34 XR 2,867,343 l/1959 Flynn 21727 3,088,647 5/1963 Zastrow 21753 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 437,698 11/1935 Great Britain. 548,781 10/1942 Great Britain. 798,067 7/ 1958 Great Britain,

RAPHAEL H. SCHWARTZ, Primary Examiner. 

